Dear Beloved Reader, we're going to be real with you. We're asking you to join our membership program so we can become fully financially sustainable (and you get some cool perks too!) With dropping ad rates across the media industry, we're at continuous risk of shutting down. And we don't want you to face Trump and his kind without the unique resources we provide. If everyone reading this only gave $10, we could raise enough money for the entire year in just one day. That's right, with the price of a single lunch out, you can save us. We're an independent feminist media site, led entirely by people of color, and that pays everyone who writes for us. If Everyday Feminism has been useful to you, please take one minute to keep us publishing the articles you've come to rely on us for. Thank you! Click here to join!

7 Illustrations That Capture Exactly What It’s Like to Have Anxiety

Originally published on Behance.net and republished here with the artist’s permission.

Know how it feels to have everyday things like nighttime noises or a dreaded “we need to talk” message fill you with anxiety?

Then you’re really going to be able to relate to this.

Unfortunately, anxiety disorders are still widely misunderstood – but these illustrations by Mumbai-based artist Pranita Kocharekar will remind you that you’re not alone.

This series, called Is That You?, aims to help people who are struggling acknowledge their anxiety as the first step toward getting mental health support.

Pranita drew from her own experiences and those of her friends to capture these emotions, choosing a humorous approach to add a little light-heartedness to an ordinarily heavy experience.

She told the Huffington Post, “It’s very easy for a person suffering through anxiety to worry about having anxiety. I hope that my illustrations will ease them a little.”

It can be quite a relief to know that you’re not the only one with your struggles – so take in these illustrations as a reminder of that. You can find more amazing art from Pranita Kocharekar by visiting her Instagram.

Click for the Transcript

Panel 1

Panel 2

(An image on the left shows a newspaper that reads, “THEFT, MURDER.” The face on the right is visibly distraught.)

Panel 3

Meditation is like…

(A person sits, trying to meditate with one eye open, and a flurry of thoughts surrounding them like, “I smell pizza” and “did I leave the tap on?” and “this isn’t working!”)

Panel 4

You’re forever paranoid and over-cautious…

(The image on the left shows two hands holding from across a table. The arm on the left is dangerously close to a candle. The image on the right shows a worried person thinking, “What if his shirt burns?”)

Panel 5

When your boss wants to see you in the office, the walk is a hard, hard one…

(A person with long hair walks down a hallway with thoughts trailing behind. “Did I do something wrong?” “Is everything OK?” “What if I’m fired?”)

Panel 6

When you hear rustling at night, of a [sic] being stabbed to death…

(The top two images show someone clutching their pillow, looking terrified. The bottom two images show a closeup of their face, crying.)

Panel 7

You check for your phone before sitting in the cab, while in the cab, and after getting out of the cab – twice.

(The first image shows someone inside a cab, digging around in their bag saying, “Where is my phone?” The cab driver looks back appearing puzzled. The second image shows the same scene, five minutes later with the text, “Is it still here?” The last image shows that person outside of the cab now, searching their bag again while saying, “Did I leave my phone in there?” The driver peers out of the cab window, looking worried.)